Reproduction of music and speech



I 1927- H. B. WIER REPRODUCTION OF MUSIC AND SPEECH Original Filed Aug. 14. 1919 WWW Patented Feb. 15, 1927.

UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE.

HARRY B. WIER, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMI'ANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

REPRODUCTION OF MUSIC AND SPEECIE.

Original application filed August 14, 1819, Serial No. 817,410. Divided and this application filed January This invention relates to phonographic methods of reproducing sound vibratlons and is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 317,410,. filed August 14,"

An object of the invention is to improve the reproduction of sound vibrations and more particularly musical vibrations. Another object of the invention to eliminate from the reproduction, distortion ordinarily induced by resonance of the various reproducing instrumentalities. Another object of the invention is to ermit the control or modulation of the e ect produced by the sound producing instrumentalities before reproduction.

' In accordance with a feature of the invention, means is provided whereby in the reproduction of phonographic music, the user may modulate the intensity not only as a whole but may also increase or decrease the intensity of any portion of the scale desired to bring outbrilliancy as the indlvidual taste of the user may dictate.

The method of reproducing, as described herein, consists in first converting the audible vibrations, produced by musical instruments or otherwise, into electrical vibrations of exactly the same characteristics; modifying such electrical vibrations by suitably in: creasing or decreasing the intensities \of the harmonic components of the electrical wave which are unduly over or under emphasized by any active part of the vibratory structure or associated parts, and converting such modified electrical vibrations into audible vibrations and reproducing such modified vibrations.

In the phonographic reproduction of sound, the apparatus employed has a fundamental frequency which tends to detract from the quality of the sound as finally reproduced. There are provided in the present invention filters whereby the fundamental frequencies of. these various parts may be modified so that the effects thereof will not be noticeable inthe sound vibrations as finally emitted. A second filter is also provided whereby,'wl1en the record is made by the process described in my copending application previously referred to, the high frequency tone impressed on the electrical vibrations in'tlie individual circuits will be modified so that the usual scratch noise Serial No. 438,817.

y giving a tone which will be pleasing to The type of electrical wave filter which it s preferred to use in connection with this invention is disclosed in a Patent No. 1,227,11fi, to G. A. Campbell, May 22, 1917, and as it is well known to those skilled in the art, a detailed description of it is not lncluded herein.

The invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following descr1pt1on taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 discloses an arran ement in which the vibratlons of an indivldual record are reproduced; and F g. 2 shows the arrangement for reproducing from the master record.

Referring first to Fig. 1 which represents an embodiment of the invention as applied to the reproduction from a plurality of indlvidual records which may berecords made by the process described in my copending-application, referred to above, simultaneously with a master record or in any other manner, there is shown at.1 an ordinary phonograph record upon which rests the stylus 2 carried by the stylus arm 3 which is connected to a suitable reproducer 4. The reproducer 4 is electrically connected to the induction coil 5 which is'inductively associated with the electric Wave filter 6 for filtering out any frequency which may have been superimposed during the recording to eliminate the resulting tone produced by the stylus in passing over the record. This filter is also adapted. to modify any undesirable frequencies which may be present, providing the producing circuit which produces a fluctuatmg current in the primary 5. This current is transferred to the secondary coil of the filter 7 which serves to correct any frequency which may have been unduly over or underemphasized by the reproducer 4. The cur- The filter 27 is adapted to modify associated therewith suitable rent is then induced in the secondary 8 which is in series with the primary coil 9 and thence to the secondary 10 which is connected in circuit with a common circuit 11, common to a plurality of individual reproducers such as 4. The current in the secondary circuit 8 may be varied to any desired value. by adjusting resistance 12, and in this waytlie volume as a whole may be varied to any desired degree. The current in the common circuit 11 is then transformed to the secondary 13 which is a part of the electric wave filter 14 for modifying the natural frequency of reproducer, after which the current is induced into the'filter 15 in circuit with which a variable resistance 16 is associated, thereby making it possible. to vary thevolume of sound reproduced from the whole group of records, while the adjustable resistance 12 serves to vary the volume of the sound produced by any one record. The inductance and capacitance which go to make up the filter 15 are of the variable type so that the intensity of the tone of any variation of the scale may be modulated. The loud speaking receivers 17 and 18 have sound distributors 19 and 20. The coils of these receivers are energized by the current induced in the secondary coil 21.- Connections 22 and 23 are for the purpose of connecting other individual reproducers to the common circuit 11.

The sound transmitted from the distributors 19 and is therefore of a finer quality than that which is ordinarily reproduced, as the undesirable frequencies and noises which usually enter into the reproduction have been eliminated. It is thus seen that the modified electrical vibrations when converted into audible vibrations gives a very pleasing tone both as to intensity and to quality.

If desired, a master record may be made from the individual records by the depression of key 24. The depression of this key connects the electromagnet recorder 25 in circuit with the filter 26. The filter 26 has its impedance arranged so that it may be varied and in this way the intensity of the tone of any portion of the scale may be modulated.

the fundamental frequency of the recording mechanism andis inductively associated with the filter 26. The filter 27 is also inductively coupled with the common circuit 11. The party making the record is in this way able I to make an almost perfect record as he has of the individual circuits.

under his control means for -modulating'the intensities of the electrical vibrations in each He is also given an opportunity to study the record and know exactly which parts thereof are duly over or under emphasized.

Referring now to Fig. 2, there is disclosed means for reproducing from a mas ter record. The vibrations of the stylus 29 in its passage overthe record 30 are transmitted by tliereproducer 31 over a circuit which is adapted to be Varied by means of the variable resistance 32 and by means of which the" volume may be increased or decreased as the user may dictate. The filter '33 is inductively associated with the pri also forms a transmitting means for the current therein to the filter 36. The filter 36- is adapted to modify the fundamental frequency of the receivers 37 and 38, thereby eliminating any distortion which might be caused by the receivers. The filter 36 is inductively connected to the secondary coil 39 which is connected with the loud speaking receivers 37 and 38. These receivers are fitted with sound distributing apparatus for the proper distribution of the sound emitted therefrom.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sound reproducing system employing a sound record having variations recorded thereon representing sound. means to convert the recorded variations into electrical variations, a sound receiver for converting the electrical variations into sound, and a transmission circuit between the said emeans and the receiver including a network of series and shunt filtering elements for transmitting certain bands of frequencies more efiiciently than others to increase the naturalness of the reproduced sounds. 2. In a system for reproducing music representing an ensemble of instruments, a record having recorded thereon variations representing the sounds to be reproduced, means to translate such variations into electrical waves, a sound receiver for converting the electrical waves into sound, and a transmission circuit-between said means and the receiver including series and shunt filtering elements therein for emphasizing the frequencies lying in certain regions of the scale relative to other frequencies to improve the faithfulness of reproduction of the ensemble rendition.

3. In combination in a phonographic reproducer, a record having sound undulations on its surface, a reproducing system including a needle for following the course of the undulations, means to translate the needle vibrations into atmospheric sound waves, and frequency-selective filtering elements associated with said means for suppressing reproductions of needle-scratch noises while freely permitting reproduction of recorded sounds. v

4. ,In combination ina phonographic reroducing system, a plurality of records iiaving recorded thereon variations representing sound, individual means for trans lating the variations on the several records into electrical variations, electrical filtering networks associated with the respective translating means for. transmitting certain portions of the frequency scale more eficiently than others, and means common to all of the records for receiving the electrical variations transmitted by said networks and for converting such variations into sound.

5. In combination in a phonographic reproducing system, sound record means having recorded thereon variations representing dis characteristic sounds, means to translate the recorded variations into electrical waves, individual filtering networks for attenuatin certain portions of each characteristic soun relative to other ortions to improve the naturalness of eacii characteristic sound, a common sound reproducer for converting electrical waves into sound, and means for conveying the electrical waves from the several filtering networks to the common reproducer.

6. Ina system for reproducing sound v1- brations from a plurality of phonograph instruments, the combination of means for converting such vibrations into electrical vibrations in an electrical circuit individual to each instrument, means associated with said converting means for suppressing extraneous variations on the recording surface caused during recording, a common circuit inductively associated with each of said individual circuits, and means in operative relation to said common circuit for converting the electrical vibrations therein to audible vibrations.

7. In a system for reproducing sound vibrations from a plurality of phonograph instruments, the combination of means for converting such vibrations into electrical vibrations in an electrical circuit individual to each instrument, means inductively associated with the individual circuit for sup pressing any pronounced fundamental vibrations of the reproducer, means associated with said converting means for suppressing any persistent variations on the recording surface, and means in operative relation to said circuits for converting the electrical vibrations therein to audible vibrations.

8. In a system for reproducing sound vibrations from a plurality of phonograph instruments, the combination of means for converting such vibrations into electrical vibrations, an electric circuit -individual .to each instrument, an electric wave filter com-' prising lumped impedance of a pro-computed value to; filter out any pronounced fundamental.frequency of the reproducer, means associated with said converting means for modifying for any variations of the recording surface caused during recording, and means in operative relation to said cir-' cuits for converting the electrical vibrations therein to audible vibrations.

9. In a systeinfor reproducing sound vibrations from a plurality of phonogra h instruments, the combination of means r converting such vibrations into electrical vibrations in an electrical circuit individual to each instrument, means'in the individual circuit formodifyn any pronounced fundamental vibration a? the reproducer, means associated with said converting means for modifying for an variations of the recording surface cause during recording, a common circuit inductively associated with each of the individual circuits, means inductively, associated with said common circuit for modifying the natural vibration of the re: producer, and means in operative relation to said common circuit forconvertin the electrical vibrations therein to. audi le vibrations. 7

10. Thecombinat'ion with a phonograph and an electrical transmitter associated therewith for transmitting at audio frequency the sound produced through engagement by the transmitter stylus with the phonograph record; an electrical receiver member connected with the transmitter, and a source of electricity for same; of means for eliminating substantially the extraneous record sounds and comprising a condenser included in circuit with the receiver member to short-circuit substantially the transmitted waves 'of' relatively high-frequency and thereby the extraneous sound waves but allow of the passage of the desiredsound waves transmitted from the record.

11. The combination with a phonograph and an electrical transmitter associated therewith for transmitting at audio frequency the sound produced through engagement y the transmitter stylus with the phonograph record; an electrical receiver member connected with the transmitter, and a source of electricity for same; of means for eliminating substantially the extraneous rec- 0rd sounds and comprising a condenser in parallel with the receiver member to shortcircuit substantially the transmitted waves of relatively high frequency and thereby the extraneous sound waves but allow of the passage of the desired sound waves transmitted from the record.

12. The combination with a phonograph and an electrical transmitter associated therewith for transmitting at audio frequeue the sound produced through engagement the transmitter stylus with the phonograpi record: an electrical receiver member connected with the transmitter; a source of electricity and transformer for same; of means for eliminating substantially the extraneous record sounds and comprising a condenser shunted across the secondary of the transformer to short-circuit substantially the transmitted waves of relatively high frequency and thereby the extraneous soundwaves but allow of the passage of the desired sound waves transmitted from the record.

13. The combination with a phonograph and an electrical transmitter associated therewith for transmitting at audio frequency the sound produced through engagenating substantially the extraneous record sounds, said meanscomprising a condenser bridging said circuit to short-circuit substantially the transmitted waves of relatively high-frequency and thereby the extraneous sound waves but allow of the passage of the desired sound waves transmitted from the record.

In witness whereof, .I hereunto subscribe my namethis 19th day of January A.D.,

HARRY B. WIER. 

